National Archaeological Museum opens exhibition on Greek-German wartime history

The National Archaeological Museum in Athens, in collaboration with the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) at Athens, has inaugurated a special exhibition titled ‘Divided Past: Greek-German Relations in Dark Times’. The exhibition focuses on the seizure of the DAI Athens collections following the withdrawal of German occupation troops from Athens in 1944.

Scheduled to run until late January 2027, the exhibition presents preliminary findings from a joint research program launched in 2024. This research aims to investigate the history of the collections, their acquisition, and the circumstances surrounding their seizure during the occupation. The project is funded by the German Federal Foreign Office to support the preservation of cultural heritage.

The exhibition is split between two locations: the National Archaeological Museum and the German Archaeological Institute. It highlights specific artifacts, such as an Attic white lekythos, whose history is linked to the seizure of property from the DAI in 1944. The opening coincided with the 82nd anniversary of the liberation of Athens from German occupation.